Our first, last year of tween

Molly,

You started this year so wide-eyed, anxious and weary of all the changes to come in middle school. Undoubtedly, your rookie parents seemed to have all the wrong words of comfort. We are still learning. To make matters worse, your class schedule was the total opposite of friends that represented the safety of home. So in true Molly May style, you complained about it immensely at home, panicked you would anxiously barf on the bus--- and then all by yourself--- you navigated the hallways of towering teens, introduced yourself to new friends, became involved in school activities and absolutely rocked your first year. I think you be quoted as saying "Middle School is sooooooooo much better than elementary school" --- which speaks volumes because your elementary school is mostly made of magic.

It isn't always easy being the oldest child of a family. Having to pave the way and trudge the unknown. Even your own Mom and Dad never had to forge that path as tweens. We see this and couldn't be more proud of your strength and bravery. This year, especially, you had some pretty big moments of hard. It isn't easy to be a kid in a world of social media, unsettling government leadership and the prevalence of gun violence within schools.  You have had to face dynamics that simply didn't exist in my childhood. Lock downs, student outcries, written statements and walkouts... the reality of our world has forced you to grow up at an unfair rate and yet through all of it, you have displayed nothing short of dignity, grace and a healthy balance of whimsy.

This year is a whole new adventure. One that holds the promise of braces, cheerleading, theatrical performances, new crushes, old friends, new friends and all the awkwardness endowed to life as a seventh grader.  I am confident you will further grow our ever-expanding repertoire of middle school nuances and phrasing that now includes: shipping, lit, bruh, basic, fortnite dances, vines, memes, youtubers and allll the slime my Tupperware could handle. We will fumble in our phrasing, embarrass you relentlessly and always go out of our way to love on you in public. I promise we will cheer faaaar too loudly for you at football games, giggle at your ridiculous love of mascara and sigh through the wonky evolutions your curly( and now slightly green/blue hair) will endure.

I am sure we will seem silly, annoying, too strict and too cautious, and always clueless. We will continue to not care about the "but all my friends" and "I really want" and "everyone else" and it will be exasperating and comforting at the same time. Because in this next year of you, we will continue to be here too. To show up, to laugh with you, to encourage, to mentor, to console, to cherish and to love you. Especially on the harder days.

 Every year, you grow us that much more as a Mom and Dad and every year we couldn't be more thankful.

Love you, sweet birthday girl.
Mom

*****turn up the volume*****



Molly's 12th! from Julie May on Vimeo.